The Other Edge
by usafknight1007
Summary: This story is a re-imagining of Starcraft: Evolutions I wrote under the pen name Kylun 5 years ago which I had never finished. I intend to finish it now and in a way that reflects my evolved writing style.
1. Disclaimer and Synopsis

DISCLAIMER

This is a work of fiction; any resemblance to any real persons or happenings is purely coincidental. I also do not own the intellectual property rights to Starcraft or any other Blizzard Entertainment product.

SYNOPSIS

The UED expeditionary fleet had been shattered. The tired remnants of their once proud fleet fled the Koprulu sector in a vain effort to return to Earth. The only survivor of the debacle was a distorted and brief message from Admiral DuGalle (the speech he gave at the end of the Brood War before dying.) The message was received by a science crew at the outermost limit of UED territory, and though it eventually cost them their lives, the scientists chose to re-transmit the message to media elements on Earth instead of the government. 48 hours after the message was broadcast throughout the Orion arm to every sector of human habitation, the first shots of the rebellion took place.

The UED had long oppressed the people it purported to serve. People suffered in silence while their freedoms were taken away. They stood in mute testimony to the draconian methods used by the UED military to crush the peaceful demonstrations of the Workers Union on Titan. They turned aside and wept in private at the "Purification". The message from DuGalle, by itself, would not have evoked the reaction it did. But taken with the myriad of atrocities over the span of its history, the people finally found their righteous anger. To the dismay of the Directors, that righteous flame would rise to consume them.


	2. Prologue

_1842 Zulu, Solarian Standard Time (SST_)

_Geneva, Switzerland, Earth_

_Sol System_

The quiet was broken only by a profound sigh, like the bitter acceptance of a bereaved mother at an overwhelming loss. The lamenting wind rose and keened a despairing wail through the blackened forest of the city. It swirled plumes of dust and raised pillars of oily smoke as it caressed the burnt remnants of the shattered cityscape. The air shimmered with heat distortion, borne of the raging infernos which feasted on what the folly of the pride of men had wrought. The sharp tang of burning metal contested with the acrid odor of rubber as the bloated, blood red sun sank on the late autumn day. Dark clouds hung like a mourner's veil across the sky, blanketing the city below in an almost comforting darkness; a balm for the innocence lost.

The moon gained prominence in the sky, its silvery visage peaking through the soot heavy clouds to bathe asphalt waves in silver dusk. The sunset was beautiful against the angry sky, its brilliance no less for having to shine through both ash and despair. It spoke of the hope which lay beneath the destruction, the peace found on the other side of war. As the sun hid its face from the world and darkness swam across the horizon, figures arose like the dead from their graves. They clawed their way from the rubble of war, that of buildings and bodies, to stand erect beneath the moonlight. They all looked the same, grime and sweat mixing with dust and ash to cast an unnatural grey pallor to their skin, matched by the weariness of the soul reflected in their eyes. More and more of the walking dead emerged from their makeshift crypts, blistered hands reaching out to one another in the desperate quest for warmth and life. A man clutched a woman into an earnest embrace, neither caring in the oddity of a stranger's embrace. They were kin in marriage through the shared survival of impossible devastation. They joined other survivors in the slow and steady march to the single, nearly unmarred monument at the heart of the city. Its spires clawed skyward in a dragon like claw, ever defiant against the tragedy that befell the rest of the city.

The occasional fitful cough contended with the mourning wind as their red rimmed eyes locked on the tattered and broken symbol of the once mighty United Earth Directorate. Its color flashed in the dying light once before it ripped free from its post, a sudden and angry wind banishing it from the spire. A rippling wave surged through the massed crowd below the building, followed in earnest by a hushed anticipation that grew thicker as the seconds ticked on. As one, a thousand lungs drew deeply of filthy air in a gasp that silenced the wind. There were people atop the spire, their presence betrayed only by their movement against the unwavering hardness of the roofline. The UED flag briefly flashed into view, its journey earth-ward carrying it across the main avenue before settling into the clawed grasp of a survivor. Though the gender was an enigma, their contempt for the flag was not, as the figure threw the flag to the ground in a burst of anger and stepped upon it purposefully, grinding it beneath their blackened sneakers. Color exploded atop the roof, the halogen glow wreathing it in revealing incandescence that was almost too much for the watching eyes to bear. It was striped in a red and white, like the US flag of old, bearing a blue square in its upper right corner. Proud and glittering within that indigo field was a golden laurel wreath cradling a pristine Earth.

The new flag raised proudly, its swift ascent unfettered by delay or hesitation. A faint ting of metal on metal rang out across the sky like the tolling of a meager bell, yet rang in the hearts of the survivors as loudly as a trumpet sound from Heaven's host. The air shook with a rumble which came from every direction, rising in a crescendo of sensation which reverberated around every bend, across every street and park. Like a damn breaking with thunderous report, the rumble shattered into the blissful joy of a cheering crowd. No longer mere survivors, this cheering, this tearful lustful cry into the heavens marked them as the victors.

"We've done it," The woman exclaimed breathlessly, "We've won. We've really won"

The man's smile deepened as he replied, "At last, we're free."


	3. Chapter One

_Chapter One_

_Justice: The Sword_

"_God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless."_

_Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, Ancient Earth archive _

_12 hours prior to the events of the prologue_

_0609 Zulu, Solar Standard Time (SST)_

_Solar Sector, Earth orbit_

_The stars sang of love to the emerald in their midst, stroking the soft face with starlight, bathing the beauty in ethereal wonder. It outshone them all in its theater, its silent expression against the curtain of night captivating its audience and beckoning them with the prize of her promised embrace. Her gravity tugs at the heart, her celestial ballet inspiring courage wrought from love's earnestness. She beckoned with her silent majesty; an end to a hard fought journey._

_A horrific ruin tumbled past, sapphire flame caressing the steel of its massive hull as it spun end over end. The hammer head section of the Behemoth class battle cruiser spewed wreckage, personnel like rag dolls spinning in the indigo void with wisps of the air they once breathed wreathing them. Its engines flared with secondary explosions, the fire consuming the dying ship in a macabre display. Blue contrails followed the squadron of Wraiths, like their namesake, ghosting through the void as they arced beneath. Each fighter shuddered slightly as a pair of Gemini missiles streaked from their tubes, two dozen harbingers of destruction stabbing into the wreck's sister. Red flowers bloomed against its hull armor, the iconography of the UED erased beneath them. The squadron pulled up and away, the pilots fighting the crushing fist that slammed into them from the inertia of their maneuver. Hurt but not crippled, the battle cruiser answered their offense with a fury of its own, a rapid staccato-pattern of laser bursts erupting amongst the evading wraiths. A pair of fighters vanished under the deluge of laser rain, the sad remnants pattering against the canopies of the unscathed. _

_LCDR Sybil cursed beneath her breath, colorful invectives which described the ancestry of the UED dogs as her HUD display marked two of her pilots in the black. The young Tunisian woman narrowed her eyes in concentration as she redistributed her squadron's formation. Emergency markings flashed red on her screen, her eyes popping wide as the implication of the warning drove through in a storm of laser fire. _

"_Falcons! Evasive man…" Her orders were suddenly cut short as her wraith shuddered and her canopy squealed like a tortured animal, cracks spider-webbing across the glass as her ship wailed and bucked. She cried out as the inertia overcame her wraith's ability to compensate, her lithe body enduring bruising slams within her harness. Her stricken fighter listed badly to port, the G-force making her eyes dance with black fireflies and her stomach heave sickeningly. She yanked on her stick, the cords of muscle in her arms and neck trembling and taut, hoping and praying that the engines would compensate before she blacked out. As the wraith finally leveled off she became aware of the noisy chatter on her coms. Her squadron was down by three more, the enemy squadron's cloak still shimmering from their surprise maneuver. They tore past the rebel squadron and came about tightly, readying for another pass at the disoriented rebel squadron, driving it away from the beleaguered UED battle cruiser._

"_Falcons! Break off and punch it, head for the frigate line!" Her voice was reduced to a harsh rasp by the time she finished her order, a burning pain rising from her chest like acid. Desperation was evident in her wild eyes and the perspiration dotting her dark skin._

"_Tactical, this is Wraith squadron falcon… we have bandits on our 6, request fire support along our escape vector."_

"_Falcon squadron, this is Tactical. Ping IFF twice for positive ID. Targeting is muddled from an EMP burst."_

_She synchronized her controls with the rest of her squadron then toggled the silvery switch on her radar panel rapidly off and on._

"_IFF confirmed, Falcon. Come about and head for the Reliant." _

"_Roger Command. Falcons! Split-S and head for the fat lady!"_

_The wraiths of Falcon squadron inverted and performed a half loop, putting them below and facing the pursing UED squadron. The bright blue after image of the attacker's contrails assailed her senses as the enemy streamed past, granting a temporary reprieve from their ferocity. Sybil muttered to herself, praying to whatever god may be listening to grant her people the few seconds they needed to bisect the Valkyries even now moving into position. The rebel fighters re-established a loose diamond while watching their radar with intensity, ready to begin evade the renewed missile and laser barrage. Sensing that only heartbeats remained, she urged her fighters to greater speed, the ion engines flaring with power as they gave it all the power they could spare. The area immediately behind them became alight with explosions as the hunters deluged them with missiles and laser fire. So intent were the UED force on the fleeing wraiths, that they failed to note the boxy silhouettes of the Valkyrie squadron languidly turning into them and bringing their rocket launchers to bear. Halo rockets erupted from their launchers in salvo fire, twenty screaming devils streaming directly into the UED's flight path. The enemy wavered and shattered against the rain of destruction wrought by those rockets, their formation shattered and their will sapped by the surprise. They scattered and attempted to return to the safety and support of their fleet, but found that their prey had come about and become the predators. _

_Sybil snarled with pain focused rage as she lined up her fighter with a fleeing wraith, the red crosshairs on her HUD tracking around to follow the madly evading UED pilot. Her heart slammed in her chest like a drum, drowning out her hearing with the roar of adrenalin infused blood surging through her. Her limbs trembled with cellular infused rage as her vision tunneled, seeing only the wraith before her. Her heartbeat slowed, her breath becoming the crashing roar of a white-capped wave, as the targeting reticule eclipsed the dodging fighter with agonizing slowness. The cross hairs flashed once and neurons flashed in her hands to jerk the missile launch control. A dull thump shook her seat as a pair of Gemini missiles streaked away from her fighter. Their smoky trails were joined by several more from her squadron, each a message of death gleefully delivered. Sybil averted her eyes against the sudden flash that enveloped her canopy, a steel rain dancing against her fighter as she surged through the wreckage of the UED squadron. _

"_Falcon, this is Tactical. The _Achilles_ is making a push for Earth orbit. You are to cover their approach."_

_LCDR Sybil shook the tunnel vision from her eyes to glance at her HUD and confirm the display. _

"_Alright Falcons, you heard the man, let's plow the road!"_

_USS _Achilles_, Rebel battle cruiser _

_Solar Sector, Earth space_

_The corrugated neo-steel deck beneath his feet gently rumbled with power as the captain stood calmly on the command island, its crescent deck rising above the main bridge to afford him a panoramic view of the bridge stations. He stood tall and stalwart; a statement of dignified command and the definition of disciplined warfare. His dark blue uniform was crisp and pressed, every button and accoutrement glistening gold with mirror polish. His grey eyes slowly tracked about the bridge, their stormy depths taking in every detail and marking each movement of his crew. His face was composed of flat planes and sharp angles, giving a hard edge to a warrior born and bred in the deadly violence of space. His close cut graying hair was barely visible beneath his command cap, the lightning strokes of silver on the bill marking his mood as clearly as the scowl painted on his face. His eyes flashed with a fierce light as he suddenly swept into motion and snapped his attention to the main view screen._

_Explosions rippled across space as the __USS _Achilles_, an honored veteran of many battles, bore down on the UED line, her hull armor shunting away the shattered debris of the fallen. Her laser turrets danced a serenade of death amongst the hapless UED forces, whose support had dwindled and left an opening for the old battle cruiser to exploit. Several wraith squadrons from the rebel battle group swarmed to clear her path of enemy fighters as she ploughed bravely forward. Captain Smith focused his not inconsiderable regard on the bridge crew, his eyes narrowing as the navigation officer squirmed beneath the weight of his imperious gaze._

_"We're nearly through sir," the female ensign meekly replied to his raised eyebrow, "Falcon, Eagle and Raptor squadrons have engaged enemy fighters and the UED battle cruisers _Battlecry_ and _Immaculate_ have sustained considerable damage and are falling back. The way is open."_

_Captain Smith nodded and graced the ensign with the merest ghost of a smile._

"_Excellent, Ensign Kelly. Helm, set course between the enemy vessels. Prepare broadside batteries for salvo fire."_

_The UED battle cruisers trailed debris and smoke as they attempted to withdraw from the main battle line. The _Achilles_ powered in between them, her engines flaring brightly as they propelled the massive vessel. She approached amidships first with the Immaculate on her port side, the enemy attempting to angle away from the faster _Achilles_. Cannons glared with sunlight as they protruded from the Achilles' armored hull and tracked towards the fleeing UED ship. As one, they erupted in smoke and fire as their deadly projectiles roared the short distance into the neck section connecting the hammerhead bridge section with the rest of the ship. Orange and red flames burst along the _Immaculate's_ starboard side, the flames expanding to consume the entire length of the neck._

_Personnel distorted with blood red light rushed madly along neo-steel corridors as the floor beneath them bucked and heaved. Sparks rained on them from sundered conduits and struts tore free of the walls dancing about briefly before falling with a loud clangor on the deck. Many were thrown from their feet as the vibrations reached a crescendo, the hull splitting open above them with the terrifying screech of ripping metal. Flames pouring into the corridor paused in midair before they were blown back out the rent they had been birthed from. People's screams were torn from their lungs as they were flung from the blazing deck out into the cold graveyard of space. _

_The massive hammer head bridge section tore free from the rest of the ship as its inertia propelled the engine section forward, the critically wounded structure of its neck unable to hold the ship together. Explosions raced up from the massive salvo and began their feast on the bridge even as it tumbled back against the port side of the Immaculate. Secondary explosions marked the destructive contact as it bounced and tore against its own body. _

_The _Achilles_ continued on her course, her starboard batteries lining up with the _Battlecry_. Her target rotated along her axis to put her more heavily armored back to the rebel battle cruiser as she also attempted to angle away from the _Achilles'_ fury. Starboard batteries announced their fury with a bombardment of destruction along the spine of the second ship, the armor plates of her victim spinning free of the hull they were meant to protect. The azure light of its engines flickered and died as the UED ship groaned in torment under the onslaught. The fires died out in the vacuum though the glow of the super heated metal remained, contrasting with the darkness of space and lighting the ship like a dying ember as it drifted away._

"_Sir, _Immaculate_ has suffered catastrophic damage, but the _Battlecry_ is largely intact. Her engines have failed and she is listing badly."_

_Captain Smith nodded in satisfaction. "Helm, take us in for a tactical orbit of Earth, order all Myrmidons to ready for surface deployment." The captain swung about and headed for his seat, the high backed chair dominating a high position in the center of the command island. He let his body fall into the seat, some of his tension melting through him into the chair as it molded to fit his body shape. He watched the unfolding scene intently on the view screen, the blue chevrons representing rebel forces slowly driving through the red line of the UED defensive perimeter._

"_Have any other of our ships breached the defensive line?"_

_"Erm, ah…no…I mean, yes sir, the __USS _Republic_ has established, ah…Earth orbit and is currently deploying her ground forces."_

_Captain Smith sighed profoundly before speaking, "Lieutenant?" _

_"Um…ah, yes sir." The Lieutenant replied through fast breaths, his face going pale._

_"Relax."_

_"Yes sir."_

_USS _Republic_, Rebel battle cruiser_

_Solar Sector, Earth orbit_

_The _Republic_ was hurt, blasted and melted chunks of armor peeling away from her hull; a victim of the numerous strafing runs UED fighters were vigorously employing. Nevertheless, her crew battled both the damage and the fighter's stings while the docking ports opened in her bridge section, the scurrying of drop ship pilots, crew chiefs and marines bustling around the hangar decks visible from space. She listed slightly to port, a large plume of exhaust gasses jetting from a massive rent in her starboard side trailing the ship like a streamer. The scene on the bridge was no less chaotic, as Captain Powers struggled with her dying ship to accomplish her mission. She gripped the railing of the command island as if to steady the ship with her bare hands as it rocked with explosions, electrical sparks and flashes illuminating the bloody gash on her forehead. Her command cap was long lost in the pummeling her ship took while breaking through, her graying hair standing out wildly from her head._

"_Forward armor sections are buckling, ma'am." The terse report shouted from one of the bridge sections competing with the loud retorts of systems failing catastrophically throughout the ship. Consoles continued to erupt to the cries of unlucky bridge crew, the fiery sparks singing uniforms and scarring flesh. _

_"Hard to starboard and alter pitch by 30 degrees, all ventral batteries target the planetary defense guns. "_

_She ran a hand through her hair while maintaining a grip on the rail, smearing the blood across her grey-blonde locks and in her fingers. Despite the furious chaos unfolding, her mature beauty was still evident, the confidence of having held a command for years lending to her stance an air of authority and confidence. Her tactical officer, an older man whose dark skin shone with the sheen of perspiration nodded to her, relaying the commands to the turret crews. _

_With an eruption of noise and light, the entire bridge shifted upward, slamming everyone inside toward the ceiling as the floor twisted open in petals of metal and bursts of flame. The few lights remaining winked out as people and debris rained down from the ceiling, some falling into the massive crater that was once the operations center. The darkened bridge was lit only occasionally by the flashes of failing consoles, the rain of sparks casting an eerie glow through the smoky haze. Captain Powers picked herself up from the twisted wreckage, a pitiful moan unconsciously escaping her lips as she grimaced in pain. She wore a mask of blood and ashes, the twisted remnants of her body below the waist coiled beneath her unnaturally. She heaved with her arms and stifled the grinding scream rising from her gut to pull herself into position to see the main view screen. With a speed that was agonizing in its decrepit meandering, she slowly moved her head just above the lip of the metal crater. The view screen flickered with static, the hazy image conspiring with her failing eyesight to thwart her desire in comprehending the image being displayed. From the depths of her resolve, she clawed her way into focus, driving her vision through sheer will to obey. The faltering image began to take on an orange tint, a vigorous and torturous shake of her head confirming that it was not a trick of her failing faculties. Horror dawned hot in her mind as she recognized Earth expanding in her view with alarming alacrity, the orange haze on the view screen the bathing fire of atmospheric entry. The bridge dipped lower, the nauseating shift bringing the engine section of the ship into view. Somehow the engines of her once proud battle cruiser were preceding the bridge on its way to oblivion. _

_On the bridge of the _Achilles_, crewmen rushed about the bridge in a pantomime of the engine room's frantic activity, coaxing every iota of energy they could over groaning protests of the massive ship._

"_My god! Sir! The _Republic_, she's…" the helmsmen choked on her words as her eyes widened with horrified shock at the disaster she was bearing witness to. Massive bolts of laser energy had lanced up from Earth itself, impaling the stricken _Republic_ and rending her in two. The shattered remnant of the bridge section was engulfed by the flames roaring up like the tail from a comet from the engine section that sped beneath it into the atmosphere. A second laser strike speared up from Earth, searing an afterimage of its incandescence onto her eyes. The bridge crew turned their heads just before the engine section exploded in a bright white light, a wave of blue plasma racing out from it in an expanding ring. It struck the flaming bridge, shearing away tons of metal in molten gobbets that haloed the falling star in a wreath of falling meteors. _

_"April…" Captain Smith whispered; the icy dagger of pain which suddenly impaled his heart sent his focused thoughts reeling out of control. His stony demeanor was shattered, his discipline and bearing melting away beneath the anguish that seized his heart. Moments expanded to fill the space between heartbeats as his subconscious abjured a memory to shield him._

FLASHBACK: 17 years and a lifetime ago

_"Come on Aidan!" a much younger April Powers called, "I know the perfect spot!" _

_Aidan couldn't help but smile in return, his hands leading his feet as he raced after her, the cool dew bedecked grass decorating the hem of his service dress uniform with silvery motes. The moon was gibbous, the stars slightly dimmed by its bright face. The echoes of the raucous party trailed after them as the two young people rushed up a low hill. April spun about as she crested the rise, a light sheen of perspiration lighting her brow as she unashamedly grinned up at her friend. Aidan slowed as he caught up with her, his hands falling to his side just short of touching her. Her smile faltered briefly as her eyes fell for a moment to his distant hands, now firmly clasped about the champagne glass he stubbornly kept. April shook her head subtly and looked up at his face as if waiting._

_They had fought hard for four years to finally arrive at this point; graduation day had been like a dream to both of them. As two young ensigns in the United Earth Directorate, they felt their hopes borne aloft on silver wings in the bright evening sky. Aidan licked his lips nervously, his heart thudding almost painfully in his chest as his gaze fell to his best friend and not for the first time noticing how beautiful she was. He began to take a step back, uncomfortably realizing that he stood close enough to feel the tantalizing whisper of her breath on his neck. _

_There was an awkward silence between them as they watched arcs of light ascend into the brightening sky, night flowers blossoming in a myriad of colors. April eyed Aidan sideways, finally rolling her eyes with a loud sigh and grabbed a hold of his hand before he could object. He stiffened at first, his heart seeming to stop in his chest as he felt the warmth of her hand meld into his. His body felt as though it were deflating as he slowly let out the breath that had somehow become trapped in his chest. He smiled slightly as he could feel her smiling beside him, and wondered to himself if there would ever be room in their lives for something more than their duty. Trembling slightly in the cool autumn night, April turned closer to Aidan, warming herself in the shadow of his tall frame. An impulse roared through him, robbing his lungs of breath and his mind of wits as he spontaneously bent down toward her waiting and expectant face. He wrapped his left arm around her slim waist and ghosted the fingertips of his right hand against her cheek. Her eyes shone as his lips met hers, closing in the rising warmth of his embrace. Time stood still and gravity seemed to lose its hold as they floated on the euphoria of their earnest passion. _

_He came back to the present with a jolt, his eyes regaining focus on the view screen still painting the eulogy of the _Republic_. The remains of the proud battle cruiser and her captain fell towards the Earth, trails of fiery light wending around the planet is it spun placidly beneath them. That was the sort of death he would have wished for himself…but not for her, never her. A black rage burst in his heart. His eyes became alight with fearsome purpose and his jaw clenched like a vice as he strode with purpose to the weapon officer's station. Ignoring the man's questioning gaze he brushed him aside with his single mindedness. He quested for his prey on the tactical screen and zoomed in on a view of Geneva from orbit. Rising like the fangs of a beast, a quartet of huge laser batteries pointed skyward, providing the dread firepower protecting the capital. He flicked the clear cover aside and flipped the black and yellow striped flip cover, revealing the shiny metal of the Yamato cannon activation safety beneath. He flicked it almost disdainfully and stabbed his finger onto the firing protocols forcefully. _

_The _Achilles_ began to shudder slightly as a magnetic field formed in front of her bridge, the glow from her engines dimming as they began to feed plasma towards the bridge. The glow of nuclear fire began to fill the umbrella-like enclosure of the magnetic field in pulses, a crackling noise reverberating throughout the ship. On the bridge the lights dimmed and the view screen became dominated by the rapidly expanding reddish glow. Reaching critical mass, the flare of nuclear energy flattened into a teardrop as it streaked away from the ship, the clouds burned or shunted forcefully away as it blazed into the atmosphere._

_**That's it for Chapter One for now. I will finish the rest up this weekend and post it next week sometime. I appreciate any feedback.**_

_Glossary of terms:_

_Break – Fighter maneuver which is used by more than fighter to evade attackers. The defenders will turn sharply along an enemies attack vector._

_Defensive Split – two or more defenders will split up and separate at radically differing flight paths to force an attacker to follow one group at the expense of the other or split up themselves._

_IFF – Interrogator Friend or Foe. An electronic signal which is used to determine a contact's combatant status (friendly or enemy)._

_LCDR – Lieutenant Commander_

_Split-S – Fighter maneuver which is used to disengage from an attacker. The fighter executes a half roll until they are inverted and executes a half-loop until they are moving in the opposite direction and are upright. _

_Personages:_

Achilles_ – A Yamato cannon equipped Behemoth class battle cruiser. It sacrificed cargo capacity for additional weapon emplacements (such as broadside guns) and a next generation engine. Designed to directly engage other capital ships at close range. _

Reliant_ – formerly a Behemoth class battle cruiser, this vessel was modified to increase its support and cargo capacity at the expense of its direct fire role. It carries double the normal complement of wraiths and drop ships in addition to 3 squadrons of Valkyrie class frigates. Was dubbed "Fat Lady" by her crew for her wider profile._

_Captain Aidan Smith – Former UED captain, he was one of the captains to lead the assault against UED defenses in orbit of Earth._

_LCDR Sybil Hawkins – Wraith driver, commander of the 51__st__ Falcons wraith squadron attached to the _Reliant_._

_Myrmidons – The sole marine battalion assigned to the _Achilles_. Due to the ship's decreased cargo capacity, the marines are not accompanied by armored support. To compensate for this, the marines wear a more advanced for of the CMC power armor worn by all marines and often carry combat shields and a gladius for close in work. Their weapons are shorter versions of the 12mm gauss rifles, acting as carbines. Each platoon has several heavy weapon specialists who lack shields but carry larger autocannons or the experimental plasma weapons. _


End file.
